Tube and flue cleaner.



FRANZ HEINRICH LEHNERT, OF DRESDEN-PLAUEN, GERMANY.

TUBE AND FLUE CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jaa. 14, reos.

Application sied may 2.1907. sain No. 371.468.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t at I, FRANZ HEINRIQH LEHNERT, a subject of the Emperor ofAustrie-Hun ary, residing at Dresden-Plauen, Saxony, erman Em ire, haveinvented certain new and useful in roveinents in Tube and Flue Cleaners,of W ich the following is a specification,

My invention relates to an implement for cleaning boiler fines, pipesand tubes of various kinds, of that class in which an elastic devicefits tightly against the Wall of the pipe being cleaned, while acleaning tool is driven by means of aturbineor other motor mounted in acasing.

My invention consists in the provision` of an elastic shell, washer, orsleeve between the housingof the turbine or driving device and a basketof flat springs or the like, the

said washer or sleeve fi ling, after the manner of a packing, the spacebetween the turbine housing and the walls of the pi e orl tubev and thusinsuring the passage ol` t e ressure agent, to drive the motor, throughthe iousing.

To permit ofvariationpi` the diameter oi the basket the springsl ofwhich it is constructed are connected only at one end to the 'turbinehousing, while the other end receives suitable guidance.

The basket may be connected with appropriate means whereby when thecleaner is Withdrawn from the pipe or tube by a guide line or rope, thebasket, together with the packing, collapses.

Three forms of construction of my iinproved pipe cleaner are illustratedin the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is anelevation and part section showing the first form locatedin a pipe. Fig.

2 is a similar view of a modification in which the spring basket can becollapsed by drawing upon the 'guide ro ie, Fig. 3 is a like view of asecond inodi ication, in which the packing is of shallow dished iorininstead ol' the sleeve form oi Figs. 1 and 2 and is secured at the rearend of the housing.

Referring more partieularl f to Fig. l, the pipe cleaner consists of ashaiit 4 upon which 1s rotatably mounted the driving device 1 providedwith buckets or blades and housed in the casing 2, which is rigidlysecured to the Shaft 4. The cutter head 3 is ixed in the driving device.At the rear end ol the shalt 4 there is a swivel loop or the like 5 towhich a guide rope can be attached. To enable `also enables the cleanerto cial disk 1G mounted on the cleaning of pipes of different diameters,or of piping in which there are internal prominences, such,.forinstance, as the plu s of cocks, or in which there are recesses o onekind or another, a packing-sleeve or washer 6 of elastic material, suchas rubber or leather, is secured to the turbine housing 2.

'7 are flat springs assembled around the packing sleeve 6 and attachedto the housing 2. rFhe assemblage oi springs constitutes a baskettoprotect the packin sleeve 6 and e withdrawn from the pipe. Each springis furnished with a slot at its rear end, through which passes a pin 8,screwed into the housing 2. The latter is provided with peripheralapertures 10 to permit any excess of the ressure agent and any dirtwhich may fo ow the cleaner and lodge between packing sleeve and.housing to pass through the implement, whereby the danger o'lE the imlenient becoming choked in the ipe eitherlliy too great outward pressureof t ie pressure agent upon the packing and springs or by accumulationof matter in the packing sleeve, is obviated.

ln ,the modiication shown in Fig. 2 the spring basket 7 and packing ocan be collapsed by pulling the guide rope of the implement. For thispurpose the shaft 4 is threaded at the rear end to receive a nut 1].,

behind which is a-sliding disk 12 connected with the loop 5. 'lhe latterbears against a disk 14 between which and the hea( of the shaft 4 thereis a coiled spring 15. The disk 12 andthe various springs 7 areconnected with each other by wire ropes 1.3 or the like, the front endsol the springs being hinged to the housing. ln Fig. a ring is shown,pilslie l.`o\'ei the housing` L), in. order to den crease the resiliencyol' the packing (i and the spring basket 7. This ring Si may be fui'-nished with holes corresponding with the aperturcs 1() in the housing 2,so that by rotating thc ring thel apertures l0 may be more or lesscloscdl ln this vmanner the pressure acting upon the cleaner can be veryreadily regulated, since the largerthe passage afl'orded by theapertures 10, the greater the quantity of the pressure agent that willpass through the implement without doing work. ln theI modificationshown in Fig. 3, the iiacking is ol dish forni and secured at the backofithe housing 2 and the rear ends oi the springs 7 receive guidancefrom a speshaft 4.

.and the lcutter head rotated.

ine operation of the pipe cleaner is as follows z-After the implementhas been introduced into the pipe, it is driven forward by` by the sprinbasket 7. Since there is a perfect joint t eentire quantity'of water isutilized, there being no waste. Should the pressure be too great, aportion of the. pressure agent will pass through the apertures 10 in thehousing 2 can be opened to a greater ,or less extent by rotation ofthering 9,.so

that a portion of the pressure agent passes throughthe cleaner withoutdoing useful,V Ywork. On the cleaner being withdrawn from the .pipe forany reason, the springs 7 will prevent the packing from being turnedoutside in, whereby the implement would become jammed in the pipe. Inthe construction shown in Fig. 2 the pull onwthe rope' rcauses collapseof basket and packlng, smce the spring 15 yields and permits the swivelloop 5 and disk 12.to be drawn back, where- Isurrounding the saidelastic by,l again, the springs 7, connected with the disk'12 are drawndown. The nut 11 serves as stop for the disk 12 and by means of it themaximum diameter of the packing can 'be'v re ulated.

at I claim is:

1. In a -pipe cleaner, in combination, a shaft; a housing securedthereto; a rotary tool'driving device mounted in the housing; an elasticacking located outsidethe housing and a apted to bear against the wallof the pipe beingr cleaned; and a Springbasket packing; substantially asdescribed.;

2. `In a pipe cleaner, in combination, a shaft; a housing securedthereto; a rotary tool driving device mounted in the housing; an'elasticacking located outside the housing and a apted to close the:spacebetween the housing and the wall oi 'the pipe being in presencp oftwo witnesses.

cleaned; springs surrounding said packing andsecured at their iront endsto the housing-and having a limited radial moyement at their rear ends;substantially as described.

3. In a pipe cleaner, in combination, a

.avesse ft. In a pipe cleaner, in combination, a.

shaft;a housing presenting peripheral rforations secured thereto;a'rotary tool laving device mounted in the housing; an elastic packilocated outside the housing and adapte to close the space between thehousing and the wall of the pipe being cleaned; a spring basketsurrounding said packing and 4an annular rotary member 'located betweensaid housing and packing and presenting perforations corresponding withthose in the housing, whereby'the flow of the pressure agent throughsaid latter perforations canbe regulated; substantially as described. y

5. n a pipe cleaner, in combination, a. shaft; a housing securedthereto;a rotary tool driving device mounted in the housing; an elastic packinand adapted to close the space between the housing and the wall of thepipe being cleaned an' assemblage of s rings surrounding saidv ackingand secure at the front end tothe ousing; and meansfor regulatinvthe rc`siliency. of the springs; substantially as described.

.6. In a pipe cleaner, inv combination, 'a shaft; a housing securedythereto; a rotary tool'driving devloe mounted in the housing;

an elastic acking located outside the house ing and a apted toclosethespace between the housing'and the wall of the pi e beiy cleaned; a sring basket lsurrounding sani packing; an' between the latter andthehousing for the lpurppse of diminishing the resiliency ofthe 'nu and spac g pring' basket;'substantially as described. In testimony lwhereof Iaiiix my signature FRANZ HEINRICH LEHNERT. Witnesses 'p v PAUL ARRAS,CLnn SIMON.

located outside the casing an' annular member located

